When Khrushchev saw the Greeks of Saranda

Excerpt from the secret personal diary of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, who visited Albania on May 25, 1959 and stayed there for 12 days.

“…During my visit to Albania, I traveled almost throughout the country and noticed great differences between its northern and southern regions.

The story of the Indo-Greek king who converted to Buddhism

In southern Albania, the cultural superiority, but also the national specificity, is very evident, since the population in its vast majority consists of Greeks. In contrast to northern Albania, the southern regions, thanks to the Greek element, present a much superior cultural image, something completely separate from the rest of the country.

However, this cultural superiority of the Greeks of the south, our Albanian comrades seem to have not only failed to take advantage of, but, as I understand, are trying in every way to eliminate it.

When I visited Saranda, a beautiful port on the Adriatic, I was greeted by enthusiastic Greek crowds, who constantly cheered in Greek. A purely Greek atmosphere was created, and only the fierce faces of the police and the figures of the Albanian officials reminded me of the Albanian state presence.

I expressed my surprise and admiration to Comrade Enver Hoxha for the impressive presence of Greeks, who, clearly annoyed, tried to convince me that they were linguistically Hellenized Albanians..."